Frequently Asked Questions

Psychotherapy involves developing a safe environment and trusting relationship with a therapist so you can work together with the overall aim of improving your mental health and well-being. Sessions can be individual, couples, families, or groups. Together you will work with your therapist to make  positive changes in your mood,  thinking, relationships, and behaviours.  

There are many types of Psychotherapy. While all of them help you achieve the changes you desire, there are variations in the approaches, ranging from therapies that focus on thoughts and behaviours and provide you weekly tasks, to therapies that may focus on helping you understand and explore your history and emotions. There are also specific types of therapies depending on your symptoms and goals (e.g., trauma focused approaches). Please click here for a detailed list of our therapies. What is most important is that you and your therapist collaboratively develop a working relationship and plan together.

The length of treatment varies from one person to another and will depend on your goals and history. In your first sessions, you and your therapist will begin these discussions and have an idea of what the treatment length may be. Research suggests that the majority of individuals will remain in therapy for approximately 12-20 sessions to achieve their goals. Some may need less sessions, especially if the therapy is for a specific shorter-term problem, while others may need more sessions if they have multiple conditions or are looking to understand and make changes to life-long patterns.

Yes! We offer our therapy services in-person as well as through secure video or phone sessions.

Yes we do, we love couples! We offer both in person or secure video sessions for couples. Our therapists draw from many therapeutic modalities during their sessions with couples. We also offer a pre-marital counselling personalized program.

Yes we have multiple child therapists who can offer a range of services for children. This can include therapy to help with emotional regulation, anxiety management, behavioural difficulties, coaching and skill building for attention and learning problems, as well as help with social difficulties (e.g., social skills, relationships). We also offer family support and parent consultations as well as webinars online to provide full rounded services for busy parents.

All of our therapists have a minimum of Masters degree in a psychology, social work or counselling related discipline from an accredited university. Additionally, we have all done extensive professional development and training in specific therapeutic modalities. All of our therapists are either Registered Psychotherapist (RP), registered with the CRPO, or Registered Social Worker (RSW), registered with OCSWSSW.

Yes, what we discuss in counselling is is kept strictly confidential. However, there are three exceptions to this rule:

• If your therapist believes you are at imminent or serious risk to harm yourself or others.
• If your therapist believes a child or vulnerable adult is at risk of or is being abused.
• If we are officially subpoenaed in a court case

This really depends on the issue at hand and the context in which you are experiencing the problem. At the first session, you and your counsellor will discuss the optimal frequency and likely duration of counselling. With more complex and long standing issues, you will likely need more sessions to untangle things and build up internal stability. Therapy is a process. That said, most of our clients experience some relief early on in the therapy process, and indicate that they are experiencing positive shifts in their lives after 4-6 sessions.

In the first session of counselling, your counsellor’s only agenda is to connect with you, and to understand you as accurately as possible. By the end of your first session, we will have a clearer sense of the nature of your current struggles. We will explore what you are hoping to get out of therapy and what internal changes you would like to see happen. You may have some questions for your counsellor as well about what you can expect, and we always welcome this.

At the first session, your counsellor will be able to clarify what the focus of your work could be, and establish with you what frequency of sessions will be most helpful. 

Psychotherapy services are generally not covered by OHIP. However, they are mostly covered by many extended health benefit plans, but please contact your service provider to inquire about your specific plan prior to booking any services, including free consultations. An official receipt will be provided after each session to be submitted for reimbursement. Clients are responsible for paying for session fees upfront.

We accept e-transfer or credit card payments. If paying by e-transfer, please send the e-transfer the day of your session.

Your spot is reserved for you, and last minute cancellations mean that we often cannot fill the spot with people on our cancellation list. Our cancellation policy is 48 hours. Sessions cancelled between 24-48 hours will be charged 50% of the session fee, and sessions cancelled with less than 24-hours notice will be charged the full fee.

Check out our team’s bios, and see whose experience, specialty areas, and ‘vibe’ seems to be the best fit for you. You will also need to ensure that their availability will work for you. If you are unsure of who to see, or would like us to match you with a counsellor best suited to your needs, fill out our match with a therapist form and we will help you find a match for your needs. Most of our therapists offer free 15-minute consultations so that you can determine if they are a good fit for you.